Engaging for a trauma-informed Wales
The challenge
ACE Hub Wales wanted to explore how Wales can better support those living with trauma and adversity, but recognised that conversations about trauma typically missed the voices of communities often most affected, particularly outside Cardiff and in marginalised areas. How do you design trauma-informed conversations that are genuinely safe, reach embedded community leaders, and balance acknowledging trauma without defining people by it?
What we delivered
Co-production Lab Wales designed and facilitated a co-produced engagement process from October 2024 that included:
- Initial planning workshop with ACE Hub Wales to clarify aims, define successful trauma-informed conversation, and identify community leaders and connectors through stakeholder mapping.
- Exploratory conversations with 6 potential partners exploring their community’s experience, leading to a strength-based framework of guiding questions.
- Co-design workshop where community leaders used creative methods to design conversations specific to their communities.
- Three unique trauma-informed conversations co-designed and delivered with partners across Wales, reaching approximately 80 participants from rarely-heard communities.
- Evaluation and reflection sessions using Ripple Effect Mapping to identify key learning.
The outcome
ACE Hub Wales enhanced awareness within marginalised communities, developed new relationships, and learned new evaluation methods applicable beyond this project. There was increased skills and confidence to facilitate trauma-informed conversations and learning about how ACE Hub Wales could support others to do this independently. Participants shared views on trauma in safe spaces, feeling acknowledged and heard without being defined by their experiences. The project report clearly demonstrated that consciously using a co-production to explore a trauma-informed approach enables a balancing of strength/assets and challenges. Read the long form case study here.
Client feedback
“Working with the Co-production Lab Wales was refreshing and insightful. Dave and Becky introduced us to new co-production and participation practices that allowed us to explore fresh perspectives on what a trauma-informed approach to engagement could look like for different communities. We learnt a lot about how to structure conversations and wider meetings in a way that enables everyone to have their say without being prescriptive or tokenistic. Practically, we learnt new monitoring and evaluation methods like the ‘magic moment’ and ‘most significant change’ – these will be so helpful in other areas of our work. Through their expertise, gentle leadership and compassionate approach, we were able to work with new partners, listen to new experiences and further develop our approach to trauma-informed engagement in Wales.”
– Bryony Parry, ACE Hub Wales
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